Roller Derby/Girl Gang: An Art Anthology

The colors are explosive; these Amazonian figures attack and attract us with their ferocity, smooth agility, athleticism, and flirtatious, provocative behavior. Australian comic book editor Jamie Kendall has compiled a collection of over four hundred illustrations from an international range of kick-ass artists that attempt to recreate the spirit of the girl gangs and roller-derby groups.

Accordingly, there is a range of styles depicting these tough females in a mixture of different dress or undress appearing challenging, ferocious, amazingly skillful on skates, playful, sexually alluring, childish, or fiendish, trashy. but rarely innocent. These flyers and posters display vivid comic book features; much of the flaming intensity of the art colors reminds me of the works seen at the Burning Man expos; it has that kind of energy. It is interesting to note the different approaches taken by artists from the USA and those from Mexico, Germany, France, Sweden, Australia, and elsewhere. These depictions reveal the power that women possess, explicitly through these artistic expressions of the roller-derby groups whose very image translates into aggressive, badass, tough-as-nails female competitors. This is an exciting anthology of an aspect of female power that should be made more visible.